


Revelations and Realizations

by Genie_of_the_Fourth_Wall



Series: Growing Up [5]
Category: Kindergarten (Video Games 2017 2019)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, But he learns, Child Abuse, Felix Huxley is not a good brother, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mr. Huxley is a TERRIBLE father, Suicide Attempt, Tags may be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24714355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genie_of_the_Fourth_Wall/pseuds/Genie_of_the_Fourth_Wall
Summary: Felix thought the plan made sense. Ted was competition, and father was clear that a proper businessman never lost to the competition. Therefore, Ted had to disappear. It was the only way.Ted thought the plan made sense. If he wanted his family to respect him, he just had to show how capable he really was. All he had to was work harder. If he did that, maybe things would be better.
Relationships: (they do the “dating” thing but it’s mostly platonic), Cindy/Felix Huxley, Felix Huxley & Cindy, Felix Huxley & Theodore "Ted" Huxley, Theodore “Ted” Huxley & Cindy, Theodore “Ted” Huxley & Penny
Series: Growing Up [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1472879
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42





	1. Night Terrors

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go, the Huxley twins. I’m really excited for this one. I have a rather large soft spot for these two. I don’t have too much to say other than keep an eye on those tags. This one is going dark places. Not like that’s all that different from the series as a whole, but still. I hope I can do everything justice.

_“Well, Teddy. It’s time.”_

_“Yes, Felix. It is.”_

_“You’re probably surprised to learn that this hole isn’t for Ozzy, it’s for you!”_

_“Yeah, yeah. Quit your monologuing.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“No... no, I don’t think I will.”_

_“Okay, Mr. Moneybags. Into the hole with you.”_

_“What?! No, no, no! I will not being going into that hole! Teddy! Can’t we talk about this?”_

_“My name is_ Theodore _.”_

_“NOOOOOOOOOOO-“_

Felix woke up with a start, cold sweat running down his face. He clenched his eyes shut, trying his best to remember the breathing exercises he had been taught for dealing with stress. Finally, when his breath had steadied out, he opened his eyes. It was still dark, the light of the moon seeping in from behind his curtains. Ever since he lost his chance to execute his plan due to the closure of the elementary school, he found himself suffering from the same nightmare nearly every night. Felix gritted his teeth. He hated the idea that his paranoia was getting the better of him.

Felix glanced at the door that led to the bathroom that the twins shared. Through there was Teddy’s room. He was right there, only a couple doors separating the two. Felix felt a small shiver run down his spine and grimaced. He laid back down, attempting to fall back asleep. Against his wishes, his thoughts refused to quiet themselves.

_He resents you. He acts like he doesn’t, but he has to. He’d do anything to prove himself. He’d do anything to have what you do. The inheritance. Father’s respect. Father’s love. He says he loves you, but he’ll turn on you in an instant for his own gain. That’s what father taught you, after all. No hesitation. Hesitation is for losers. Losers are worthless. You hesitated, and you lost your opportunity. What would father say? Worthless people deserve to die. Teddy is worthless. You’re worthless. Teddy can kill you. Teddy will kill you. Can you kill Teddy? Or are you too weak? Weakness is worthless. Worthless, worthless, worthless, worthless, worthless-_

“I am _not_ worthless,” Felix whispered under his breath, “I am the rightful heir to Applesoft. I’ll prove it. I’ll prove it to everybody.”

The voices in his head ceased, for the moment. Felix fell back into a fitful, uneasy sleep. The nightmare didn’t visit him again that night, but he knew it would be back. It would keep coming back until Felix succeeded in his mission or died trying. He had to act fast. _No hesitation._

* * *

In just the next room, Theodore was wide awake. Being alone in the dark scared him. His mother had gotten him a nightlight, but his father scoffed at his weakness and took it away. He was too afraid to ask for it back. Ted wished he could stay with Felix. Sure, his brother would probably make fun of him, but it would be worth it in Ted’s opinion.

The darkness had been feeling more suffocating than usual. He couldn’t sleep, so he spent his nights watching out for anything lurking in the shadows. Ted had a lot of time to think, at night. He thought about a lot of things. Most of it had to do with his family.

It was no secret that their father favored Felix over him. He didn’t really get _why_ , but that was how it was. For some reason, father didn’t think he was worthy. He barely even let Ted try.

Ted remembered his old teacher, Ms. Bea. Before the new students came in and their teacher took over, Ms. Bea had been in charge of his class. One day, during morning time, she noticed Ted reading a book he brought from home. She helped him with some of the parts he was having trouble understanding. He didn’t think much of it, at first. But then, during lunch, he overheard something that really stuck with him.

_Ted had just finished his lunch when he realized he needed to use the restroom. As he made his way through the hall, he heard a loud voice coming from upstairs. He couldn’t make out most of the words, but he could’ve sworn he heard his name mixed in. Against his better judgement, he quietly snuck towards the source of the noise. He found himself in front of the principal’s office, the door conveniently left ajar._

_“-won’t you even consider it? It isn’t just his reading level. Theodore is just as intelligent as any of the students in Danner’s class. I just know he would thrive there.” The conviction in Ms. Bea’s voice was clear and strong. Ted could hardly believe it was directed at him._

_The principal sighed. “Mr. Huxley made it very clear that his sons were to be in separate classes. I can’t transfer Theodore into the accelerated course without directly defying his wishes. I appreciate how much you care about your students, but this isn’t a fight you’re going to win.”_

Of _course_ father had denied him a chance to be in the smart class. It was just like everything else his father denied him. His father even denied him his _own brother_. Ted wasn’t stupid. He knew Felix mistreated him. But he also knew that was the way father had taught him. Ted loved Felix. He wasn’t going to blame him.

That being said, Ted wished things could be better. He wanted to prove that he was worth everything his father had ever tried to keep from him. Maybe he could never be as good as Felix, but he could at least be something his family would be proud of. He _wasn’t_ stupid. He just had to work harder.

 _You can do this,_ he thought, as he finally drifted into sleep.


	2. A Walk in the Park

The morning light cast the room in a warm glow as Ted awoke. He glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It wouldn’t go off for another fifteen minutes, but that was just as well. Ted liked mornings. He thought they were peaceful. It was a weekend, so he had less of a schedule than normal. Felix would probably wind up dragging him off to do this or that, but at least he would have company.

First, though, he had to get ready. Once he had made himself presentable, Ted made his way downstairs for breakfast. He was surprised to find his mother at the table, tapping her cellphone.

“Mom?”

Her eyes flicked up, and suddenly her expression shifted into a warm smile.

“Good morning, Ted!”

“Er, yeah, good morning. I thought you’d be at work?” Ted said as he sat down.

At that moment, Felix entered the room. He walked with poise, but he couldn’t stop himself from rubbing his tired eyes. He only paused for a moment at the unexpected addition to the breakfast table.

“Good morning, mother.”

“Good morning, Felix!” The other two spoke at the same time, Ted lagging slightly behind his mom.

Felix rolled his eyes. “Good morning, Teddy.”

“To answer your question, Ted, I have a meeting this afternoon, but my schedule is clear for the morning. So, I thought I’d have breakfast with my boys. I really want to be around more often, you know. I’ve been working on rearranging my schedule, and I think we might be able to work something out!”

Ted perked up at the prospect, but Felix was doubtful. On paper, Alicia Huxley was the head of Applesoft’s PR department. This was a big job all on its own, but she did a lot more than just that. Felix didn’t know the details, but he was aware that their father entrusted a lot of extra work to their mother. Entertaining the idea that she would get more time off would only lead to disappointment.

One of the chefs came out and served the food, and the table fell into silence as everybody ate. The meal passed by uneventfully. Felix nearly jumped at the sound of one of the chairs scrapping against the floor. His mother was by his side, giving him a concerned look.

“Felix, are you not feeling well? You’ve barely eaten.”

Oh. So he hadn’t. He shook his head. “I’m fine, mother.”

She pursed her lips, but before she could say something, her phone chirped. She looked at the screen and sighed.

“I have to head out. Have a good day, you two.” 

She gave each of the boys a hug. She leaned in close to Ted’s ear, her voice lowering so only he could hear. “Take care of your brother, okay?”

“I will,” Ted said with a nod.

Giving Ted one last squeeze, his mom hurried off to work. Ted’s eyes settled on Felix’s half-eaten eggs.

“Are you... going to finish that?” Ted asked tentatively.

Felix pushed his plate forward and jumped off his chair with a huff. “I’m not hungry. I’ll be in my room. Don’t bother me.”

With that, he was gone. Ted shook his head as he picked up the abandoned plates and took them into the kitchen.

* * *

Lunch came and went. Ted hung out in the living room, playing with an old stuffed bear and waiting for Felix to come tell him what to do. Finally, Felix approached him. His brother held a soccer ball.

“We’re going to the park. I’ve already notified the driver, so hurry up. And carry this.”

Ted didn’t say a word as Felix roughly shoved the ball into his hands. Honestly, he thought a trip to the park would be a refreshing change of pace. It had been a while since the two of them had gone out for fun.

Felix had felt a great need to get out of the house. He was feeling more and more trapped as time passed by. The park was as good a place as any, and perhaps he would find himself struck with inspiration. Inspiration to help him deal with his _problem_.

It was a beautiful, sunny day. The local park was swarming with people looking for a nice day out. A lot of potential witnesses, Felix mused. However, they _were_ near a busy intersection. Maybe if he purposefully kicked the ball into the street and forced Ted to retrieve it-

“Felix! Ted! Hello!”

“Oh hey! Aren’t you those rich boys from school?”

Two familiar female voices called out to the twins. Felix turned to see Penny and Cindy approaching them. Penny waved cheerfully. Ted shyly waved back, glancing at Felix to gauge his reaction. Felix scoffed. Ted flinched and lowered his hand.

 _So much for that plan_ , Felix thought. Not like it was much of a plan to begin with. He was frustrated. It felt like he was missing something, but he refused to believe it was due to some deficit of ability on his part. _A lack of resources, then?_ He stared at the girls. Could they be of use? Penny was off the table. Even without her mother’s influence, she was too much of a goody-two-shoes to help with his plan. Cindy... Felix didn’t know too much about her, but he could see some potential in her. She clearly wasn’t the brightest bulb, but he had seen the way she acted ruthlessly for her own entertainment. Given the proper incentive... Yes, he could work with that.

Felix flashed the most charming smile he could muster. “What brings you ladies to the park today?”

“Mr. Bob thought it would be a good idea to get out of the house on such a pretty day, so he brought Cindy and me here to play!” Penny said.

“Er, where is he then?” Teddy asked meekly. His curiosity ultimately won out, even though he could tell Felix didn’t want him butting into the conversation.

“He got a little distracted trying to get a cat out of a tree,” Penny explained.

“Yeah, apparently that dumpster hag from behind the old school moved in here,” Cindy added.

Felix decided it was best to ignore the absurdity and just go in for the kill. “Say, Cindy. I’ve noticed that you’re a rather... _bold_ person. I believe you could be a fine asset to my family’s company. Would you be interested in a potential partnership?” Felix asked.

Ted widened his eyes, staring at Felix in shock. Felix had never approached someone with a venture unless they were an established associate of Applesoft. Not that Ted was going to argue with his brother. He _was_ the better businessman, after all. Still, it was odd, to say the least.

“Ooh, I’ve never had a boy proposition _me_ before! Well, you _are_ pretty cute. Sure, I’ll bite. How about we discuss this further over some ice cream?” Cindy batted her eyelashes at Felix. 

He smirked. Using this girl would be easy. “Excellent! We can depart right now.”

“Can I come? I love ice cream!” Penny butted in.

“Sorry, Penny. This is a date,” Cindy said.

“Date? What does the 15th have to do with anything?” Penny asked, confused.

“No no, like a romantic date. It’s a thing couples do alone. We can get ice cream some other time, though!” Cindy explained.

Penny’s eyes seemed to glow slightly as she stored this new knowledge into her database. Suddenly, she perked up. “Ah! I see! Well, I hope you enjoy your ‘date’, you two!”

“Yes... shall we be off, my dear?” Felix said, holding out his arm for Cindy. She took it, giggling.

_You two deserve each other._

Felix glanced around. Who said that? The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. He shrugged to himself. Probably not anything he had to worry about. Felix and his new partner made their way to where the Huxleys’ driver was waiting, leaving Penny and the stunned Ted behind.

“...Do you need Mr. Bob to give you a ride home, Ted?” Penny asked, placing a sympathetic hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“...Yeah. I guess so. Thanks.”

* * *

“So, just to make it clear, you have real money, right?” Cindy asked, daintily taking a bite of the sundae she had made Felix buy for her.

“What kind of question is that?” Felix scoffed.

“I mean, my daddy _thought_ he had money, but then my grandma cut him off and it caused a lot of issues.”

“I assure you that my wealth is very real. Applesoft has a wide spread of assets across many different industries. We’re set to be one of the most profitable companies for years to come.”

“I don’t understand most of that business mumbo-jumbo, but I’ll take your word for it. So what do you need me for, sweetheart?”

“You see, father has inheritance money set aside for when my brother and I turn eighteen. But if Teddy were to be... removed, then I would be able to take his share.”

He didn’t bring up the fact that Ted was also potentially in line to inherit the company. That wouldn’t be an issue because Felix was _better_ than him and he _didn’t have anything to worry about._

“Removed in what way?” Cindy raised an eyebrow, idly mixing the chocolate fudge into the ice cream.

“Assassination, of course. We’re going to kill him,” Felix clarified.

The metal spoon clattered against the side of the glass cup. To Felix’s surprise, he actually saw hesitation creep into Cindy’s eyes.

“I dunno... I’m not supposed to involve myself in any more murders.”

“Any more? So you have experience, then?” Felix pressed. This was better than he expected.

Cindy pursed her lips. “Yeah, I helped Kid and Buggs take down Applegate. But my sister found out and got really upset. I promised I would try not to hurt people any more.”

This was a harder sell than Felix anticipated, but he wasn’t going to back down.

“I assure you, you won’t be doing this job for nothing. As my partner, I’ll provide you with a share of the Huxley family funds. You mentioned that your family is dealing with financial problems?”

Cindy silently nodded.

“Join me, and your family will never have to worry about money ever again.”

Cindy’s eyes widened. She regarded Felix for a long minute. Then, she spoke. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Very well.” Felix smiled. He held out his hand. They shook on it.

“We shall meet tomorrow to form an action plan. For now, let’s enjoy our ice cream.”

“But you didn’t order anything,” Cindy pointed out.

He hadn’t felt like eating anything. “Okay, then _you_ enjoy your ice cream.”

“Here.” Cindy held the spoon towards his face.

“Excuse me?”

“We can share. It’s what boyfriends and girlfriends do.”

Felix hesitated, wondering what this meant. Then, he remembered who he was dealing with. He was overthinking this. “Very well,” he said as he took the spoon.

* * *

“Here you go, Ted.”

Penny handed him a popsicle Bob had purchased from a nearby stand. They had decided to stay in the park for a little while longer. It was too nice of a day to waste, after all. Bob had struck up a conversation with the ice cream vendor, so the kid were left alone on a park bench with their frozen treats.

“Thanks, Penny.”

“It was pretty mean of Felix to abandon you like that,” she said, frowning.

“Cindy left you behind, too.”

“I guess so. I know she’ll make it up to me, though. Can you say the same about Felix?”

Ted chuckled nervously. “What’s with all of the hard questions, huh?”

Penny looked away. “Sorry. I just.. I put up with so much from mommy because she was my mommy. I mean, part of it was literally wired into me, but still. There... was a lot more I could’ve done to go against her. I’m not saying Felix is _that_ bad, but it feels a bit familiar.”

Ted squeezed his stuffed bear to his chest, careful to avoid dripping anything onto it. “I trust Felix. He’ll come around.”

“Okay.” Penny paused. “You know, I’ve never seen you with that bear before.”

Ted blushed. “I’ve had it for like forever. I just don’t take it out much. Wouldn’t want it to get damaged or lost.” _Or taken away._

“It’s cute! A teddy bear for Teddy!” Penny giggled.

Ted cringed. “Could you... not call me Teddy? Please?”

Penny tilted her head. “But Felix calls you that all the time.”

Ted sighed. “That’s... Felix is Felix, y’know? Anyway, just Ted is fine.”

“Okay, Ted. You know what? We should be friends.”

“You... want to be friends with me?”

Penny looked confused. “Of course. If anything, I would think you wouldn’t want to be friends with _me_.”

Ted recalled the horror stories of what Penny did to kids who broke the rules. It was terrible, but it was also in the past. Penny was different, now.

Maybe he was different, too.

“Yeah, let’s be friends,” he said.

“Yay! I’ll have to get to work on your bracelet right away! Your favorite color is red, right? I think I have the perfect thread...”

Ted was right. Going to the park had been the _perfect_ change of pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots to say about the writing this chapter. Fitting, considering how long it ended up being in comparison to the previous one.
> 
> Firstly, I edited the titled a bit in order to both fit the themes better and sound snappier. I swear, this story has given me the most trouble in terms of title. This is my fourth one. I’ll save discussing the previous titles when they’re more relevant to the plot.
> 
> And here we introduce the twin’s mother! She’s definitely more caring than the enigmatic head of the household. She’s constantly busy with work and isn’t around as much as she should be, but she truly loves her boys. Expect more of her.
> 
> Last but not least, Ted is coming into his own! When I first conceived this story, it was definitely Felix-focused. However, as I developed things, I realized that putting Ted through the ringer just to further Felix’s character development felt... disingenuous. So I pushed myself to give the twins a more equal focus, and here we are! I’m happy with how things are progressing so far. I hope you do, too!


	3. Trust Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: This is where that "Suicide Attempt" tag comes in. Stay safe <3

"Woah, it's just as pretty on the inside..." Cindy took in the high-class home with wide eyes.

Felix smirked. "It is impressive, isn't it? Us Huxleys only settle for the very best. Now, onto business..."

"Hold on. I'm hungry," Cindy interrupted.

"Really?" Felix scoffed impatiently. Cindy simply pouted, crossing her arms. Felix sighed. "The kitchen is down that hall. Help yourself to whatever you want. I'll be upstairs making preparations."

"Okay!" Cindy blew a kiss at him as she skipped away.

Felix grumbled to himself as he made his way to his room. "This _better work_..."

* * *

Ted was getting a glass of water when Cindy came into the room. She paused when she saw him. Ted smiled and waved.

"Hello, Cindy. Felix mentioned that you would be coming over."

Cindy looked to the side, avoiding eye-contact. "Yeah. Where do you keep your snacks?"

"I think there are some cookies in the pantry. They have butter in them, though."

Cindy tilted her head, confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Aren't you vegan?"

"Ooh. Nuh-uh, not anymore. I was, but then my sister explained all of the yummy stuff I'd have to give up and it wasn't worth it. How'd you know about that, though?"

Ted couldn't recall the exact memory, but... "I remember you mentioning it at school once."

"Huh... I'm surprised you remembered something like that."

"Family is supposed to look out for each other."

"What? But I'm not family."

"You're Felix's girlfriend, right? Mom once told us that her brother's wife is her sister-in-law. It's basically the same thing, I think."

A light blush dusted Cindy's cheeks. "Is that really how that works...?" She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm gonna grab those cookies." 

She gasped as she opened the pantry. "Wow, it's like one of those big closets I've seen on TV! Oh, the cookies are pretty high up."

"I think we have a stepstool somewhere around here. Let me-" As Ted went to retrieve the stool, he heard a loud crash come from the pantry. He turned back around to see Cindy on the floor, surrounded by spilled food and crushed packaging.

"Ow..."

"Are you okay!?" Ted rushed over and helped Cindy to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Those shelves aren't as study as they look."

Before Ted could respond, one of the housekeepers entered the room. She narrowed her eyes at the kids. "Well, what do we have here? Are you two responsible for this mess?"

Cindy shifted nervously under her gaze. Ted stepped forward.

"It's my fault, Betty. I was trying to get something off the top shelf and I wasn't careful." Ted turned towards Cindy. "You should go, Felix is probably waiting for you."

"Yeah..." Cindy scurried off, leaving Ted to help Betty clean up the mess.

* * *

Felix turned as Cindy entered the room. _Finally,_ he thought. He did his best to mask his annoyed scowl.

"There you are. Now we can get started."

"I can't do this," Cindy said.

Felix gaped at her in shock. "What?"

Cindy stared him down, defiant. "I won't let you hurt him! Teddy is your family. Family shouldn't hurt each other."

Felix scoffed. "Relations don't mean anything. Just because you share blood doesn't mean they won't hurt you."

"You don't think I know that? I can tell this isn't like that. He really, really cares about you. Teddy... he's a good person."

Felix could feel his anger rising. "That act of his may have you fooled, but I know better. Father taught us the lengths we must go to come out on top in this world." 

As Felix continued, Cindy could see something wild in his eyes. She instinctively stepped back as his voice rose. "Everything will be so much easier when Teddy is gone! _I won't stop until one of us is dead!_ "

Felix's rant was cut off by a soft thud just outside his door. It was a quiet sound, but it seemed to freeze the room. A moment passed, and Cindy and Felix heard the sound of footsteps quickly fading away. Felix sprung into action, throwing the door open just in time to see Ted disappear around the corner.

"Teddy! Come back here!" Felix shouted futilely.

Cindy stared at the beat-up box of cookies lying on the floor. She clenched her fists.

"C'mon!" She yelled, running in the direction Ted had gone.

"W-wait!" Felix caught up to Cindy just outside the manor. The front door had been flung open, and Felix had seen that Ted's shoes were gone.

"Damn, he's fast..." Cindy said, "We need to find him."

"Does it really matter?" Felix panted, "He already knows what we're planning-"

"We are going to find him, and you are _going to apologize to him_." The way Cindy spoke left no room for argument. Under different circumstances, Felix would've been impressed.

"Could he have really gotten that far? He didn't take the driver," Felix said.

Cindy rolled her eyes. "I don't know if you know this, Rich Boy, but you can go a pretty good distance just using your feet. He could be anywhere by now. I'm calling in backup."

She pulled a small cellphone out of her backpack and started to punch in some buttons.

"I still can't believe you have a _flip phone_ ," he snorted.

"I told you, it's for emergencies. Now shut up."

Thoughts raced through Felix's head as Cindy talked on the phone. Where would Teddy have gone? A wave of dread washed over Felix. His feet started moving on their own, as if they knew exactly where to go.

"What the- Where are you going!?" Cindy yelled after him.

Felix kept running.

* * *

When he came to his senses, Felix found himself standing in the playground at his abandoned elementary school. Nobody had bothered to cover the absurdly big hole in the middle of the sandbox. Standing at the edge of that hole was-

"Teddy?" His brother's name left Felix's mouth before he could stop himself.

Ted flinched in shock, and he nearly stumbled into the hole then and there. He quickly steadied his footing, but he didn't move away from the edge. He didn't turn to face Felix.

"Hi, Felix." Ted spoke casually, as if he hadn't just ran away after hearing his twin admit that he wanted to kill him.

"What are you doing here?" Felix asked.

"I'm not really sure." Ted paused. "I was supposed to die here, wasn't I?"

Felix's heart skipped a beat. "How...?"

"Maybe it's silly, but this feels really familiar," Ted said softly.

Felix twitched nervously. "Teddy, can't we talk about this?"

"Why bother? We can't both win. You were right. Everything will be easier once I'm gone."

Felix blinked. "Huh?"

Ted turned around. He gave Felix a shaky smile. "Goodbye, Felix. I love you."

Ted stepped back. Felix stumbled forward, falling onto the sand. A sickening thump came from below. Felix stared numbly at the top of the hole. He didn't dare move closer and look down.

Some time passed. It could've been five minutes or five hours. Felix couldn't tell. He heard footsteps approach behind him.

"Are you alright, little guy?"

Felix recognized the man kneeling in front of him as Bob the janitor. Behind him, Cindy, Penny, and Kid examined the playground. Penny gasped in horror.

"Ted!"

Bob rushed over to where Penny stood next to the hole. His expression hardened.

"Don't worry, kids. I'm going to call for an ambulance. Just try to stay calm."

Cindy approached Felix, her expression unreadable. 

" _Did you do this?_ " she hissed.

Felix started to shake his head, but something made him pause. He shrugged instead. Cindy was confused, but then realization dawned on her.

"Oh. _Oh_." She suddenly looked hurt, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "Are you happy now?"

Was he? He should've been. This was what he wanted, right? He didn't really feel anything.

The paramedics showed up. They were asking him questions. He may have answered. None of it stuck, whatever was happening. Suddenly, there was a firm hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon, Felix. We're going to meet them at the hospital, okay?" Bob's voice broke through the noise.

The car ride was tense, and Felix felt like he was suffocating the whole way. Bob reluctantly let Cindy and Felix go into the ER waiting room while he went to find parking. Cindy gripped his hand tight and didn't let go. After a few minutes, two adult figures burst in. The man's face was expressionless, while the woman was clearly worried.

"Mother. Father," Felix said.

The two rushed over to where he and Cindy were sitting. Felix's mother cupped his face in her hands.

"Oh, my little lemon-drop, are you okay!? All they told us was that Ted was in a terrible accident and that you were at the hospital, too."

"I'm fine, mother," Felix replied robotically. His response did nothing to ease her worries.

"What happened?" His father's voice was filled with thinly-veiled annoyance.

Felix struggled to form words, but he knew there would be consequences if he didn't respond. "Teddy fell."

"He _fell_? What does that-"

"Andrew. Please," Felix's mother said sternly.

Cindy's eyes flicked between the Huxleys. She could feel the tension in the air. She put on the biggest pair of teary puppy-dog-eyes she could muster.

"Is... is Teddy going to be okay?" Cindy sniffled.

Alicia turned her attention to the little girl. "Oh, are you one of my boys' friends? We... we aren't sure, but we're going to find out, okay? Are your parents around, sweetheart?"

"Our friend's... dad brought us here, but I called my sister so she knows to come get me. I'm Cindy, by the way."

Alicia managed a weak smile. "It's nice to meet you, Cindy."

Alicia turned back to Felix. "Your father and I will take care of Ted. If you aren't hurt, you should probably go home for now. The driver is waiting right outside. We love you, Felix."

"Love you too." Felix glanced at Cindy. "Thanks."

Cindy simply nodded. Felix walked out the door and got in the car. If not for Ted's absence, he could almost forget that they were driving away from the hospital.

* * *

_"Well, Teddy. It's time."_

_The same dream?_

_"Okay! I'm ready... but where's Ozzy?"_

_No... Something's different._

_"Oh... poor, simple, stupid Teddy."_

_Something's_ wrong _._

_"This isn't a grave for Ozzy. No no no. It's for_ you _."_

_He could feel a stick grasped firmly in his hands._

_"Wait... no. What? Felix, you can't! I did everything you said!"_

_Of course he did. He always did._

_"And Applesoft thanks you for your service."_

_Time seemed to stop as he pushed Ted backwards. His brother's face suddenly shifted from a look of horror to a smile of resignation._

_"Goodbye, Felix. I love you."_

Felix woke up with a start, cold sweat running down his face. He clenched his eyes shut, Ted's words echoing in his mind.

_"Goodbye, Felix. I love you."_

_"Felix. I love you."_

_"_ _I love you."_

Felix felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. He touched his face in disbelief.

_"I love you."_

Felix's sobs echoed throughout the empty home, nobody around to hear them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Felix. The consequences of his actions have come crashing down. I think this is a good time to mention the two scrapped titles before "Revelations" (which turned into "Revelations and Realizations"): "Forever" and "Permanent". Both are references to the fact that Felix didn't fully grasp the fact that the ultimate consequences of his plan were something he could never take back. If he had succeeded, Ted would be gone for good, and Felix is learning just how different things are without him. But here, Felix did less "pulling the strings" and more "toppling dominos", so the consequences are even more out of his control. On the other hand, that means there's hope for a better ending. There's still a lot to go.


End file.
